Artifacts and Assassins
by sarahcap27
Summary: My name is Nadia, and I am an Assassin. After a few weeks, I found myself teamed up with Aveline and Connor, on a mission to find an "artifact" before the Templars do. Connor can occasionally get on my nerves, and Aveline's crush on him can be pretty annoying, but hey, things won't be like this forever, right?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed

Chapter one: This is why I REALLY HATE TEMPLARS

"Stop her! Don't let her get away!"

The redcoat's shrill voice echoed off the nearby buildings. I continued to sprint down the street. Ahead of me, four oblivious redcoats in the middle of a nice conversation looked up. I smirked, zooming past them as they gave my pursuer confused looks. Seeing an alleyway, I abruptly turned left, hoping to lose them. This obviously wasn't going to work, not with the redcoats screaming and shouting for more of their friends to join the chase.

The alleyway was a shortcut to a different street. I turned right onto the street this time. If my sense of direction was correct (which it normally was), I was currently heading northeast. The gate leading outside of Boston should be somewhere to my left. The street I was following happened to make a sharp turn in that direction. Seeing no other way to go, I made the turn, only to see the gray stone wall that surrounds the city looming over me.

I paused and cursed under my breath. As anyone could clearly see, I didn't really think this through. I didn't exactly plan on being chased by redcoats, though. To me, they were just looking for a reason to kill or throw someone in jail. All I did was run across a few rooftops. Okay, I might have looked a little suspicious, but it wasn't that big of a deal.

I could hear the footsteps of the redcoats coming closer. Cursing again, I took off in the direction I thought the gate was, staying close enough to the wall that I could reach out and touch it if I wanted.

Eventually, I spotted something along the wall in the distance. The gate. I grinned. However, as I quickly approached my destination, I noticed a slight problem. There were about ten redcoats guarding the open gate. Crossing my fingers, I continued to sprint towards them, hoping they would spot me too late. They turned their heads towards me. Thanks to the constant shouting of my pursuers, the guards noticed me almost immediately after I realized they were there. Well, great. I couldn't continue on towards them, so I spun around and started in the other direction. That's when I realized how stupid my decision was. Focused on the ones guarding the gate, I forgot about the redcoats chasing me in the first place. So I whirled back around and pumped my legs faster. The ten guards were not expecting that. Seeing my chance, I dove forward and rolled between two of the guards. Not wasting any momentum, I bolted out of the city and into the forest.

I didn't think they would follow me into the forest. It's not like I killed anyone. Just to be safe, I kept running, dodging trees and jumping over other obstacles. After a minute or so, I came to a stop and leaned against a tree, out of breath. I slid down so that I was sitting. Glancing up, I spotted a robin perched on one of the branches above me. It chirped and I smiled. Robins were always Auntie Tessa's favorite bird. My smile faded.

Auntie Tessa.

Even though I didn't like to dwell on the past, I found myself thinking about her often. Auntie Tessa wasn't really my aunt. I just called her that because she was the only person to ever take me under their wing. My parents died when I was two and Uncle Eric (my actual uncle) was always busy with his work, so she took care of me. Auntie Tessa had to visit me three or more times a day because I lived with Uncle Eric, but he after a few months he let me move in with her. All I knew about Auntie Tessa was that she worked with him. I never asked any questions, because if Uncle Eric taught me anything in the few months I lived with him, it was to never ask questions.

Anyone could tell that Auntie Tessa and I probally weren't related. Straight, jet-black hair and dark brown eyes adorned her face. My wavy, pale brown hair and blue-green eyes caused me to look nothing like her. She was always tall compared to others. I was the average height for girls my age (and still am), but I always wanted to be tall like her.

My uncle resembled me a little more. His hair was a darker shade of brown, but his eyes were a duplicate of mine.

One day when I was twelve, I hid in some bushes beneath an open window to eavesdrop on my uncle for fun. He and his other work associates had come over for some reason and I was a little bored. I could hear them talking, but I only caught bits of their conversation. Still, what I heard was enough. They talked about a "successful mission" where "nine people were disposed of" because they "discovered our secrets". Eventually, their little meeting came to a close and I overheard something about the Father of Understanding. I think my uncle and his associates left after that, but I never checked. I was too shocked and scared to move an inch from where I was.

About an hour later, I still hadn't moved. "Nadi! Nadi! Where are you?" Auntie Tessa continued to search for me and call my name.

She finally found me and gently pulled me out from the bushes. "Nadi, what's wrong?" she inquired, sounding concerned.

Should I tell her? Was she a part of the meeting? Would she kill me because I "knew their secrets"? Gazing at her face, I finally decided that she wouldn't hurt me. She was Auntie Tessa.

So I told her everything that occurred, from why I was eavesdropping to when she found me. She listened intently, not saying a word.

When I was done explaining, Auntie Tessa gripped onto my shoulders lightly. I flinched and then looked down.

"Nadia." My head shot up and I stared at her, both scared and surprised. Auntie Tessa never called me by my whole first name unless she was dead serious about something.

Her grip on my shoulders tightened. "Would you like to be able to prevent murders like those?"

I nodded, not sure what she was thinking.

Now it was her turn to explain. Auntie Tessa brought me inside and explained that my uncle was a Templar. She told me that all Templars wanted control, and would do anything to get it. Auntie Tessa, however, claimed to be an Assassin. She was part of a group solely dedicated to eliminating the Templar Order. My uncle believed her to be a Templar like himself. That gave her a chance to spy on them and discover their secrets.

I found it ironic that to prevent death and destruction Assassins had to kill people. But according to Auntie Tessa, letting one Templar live could lead to countless deaths. She planned to eliminate Uncle Eric sometime, but there were still many Templar secrets she could learn from spying on him.

So Auntie Tessa trained me. She taught me how to fight with any weapon (including hidden blades), how to cut through a heavily guarded fort undetected, and how to scale just about anything. But the one thing she focused the most on teaching me was survival. While being able to defend myself and fight could very well help me survive, she also taught me many herbal remedies and how to hunt. I learned to hunt animals quite quickly, but it was almost useless to try to teach me anything about herbs. Whatever I learned about herbs and remedies on one day would be forgotten by the next. This proved to be very frustrating for both Auntie Tessa and me. I started recording everything I learned about herbs in a book, which ended up being very helpful. I am still terrible at remembering anything having to do with plants.

Two years after I had begun my training, Auntie Tessa surprised me with my very own assassin outfit. It wasn't exactly like an assassin outfit because she removed the crest from the hood and replaced the assassin belt buckle with one shaped like a leaf. I didn't understand why she did that. When I asked her about it, she said I shouldn't be easily recognizable as an Assassin, especially by my uncle or any other Templar.

The outfit was made with green fabric and brown leather. Both the fabric and leather was used for the long coat that almost reached my knees. It split down the middle and sides below the waist. The blouse was mostly green but had a brown trim on the edges. Only the leather was used for the trousers. When I put everything on and looked at myself in the mirror, I resembled an Assassin from the pictures Auntie Tessa showed me, only without the crest and belt buckle.

Later on, Auntie Tessa also presented me with a cloak that had a hood attached to it and a dress. The cloak was very similar to the coat she gave me earlier. It was made of the same material, but it was also longer and didn't split past the waist. The dress also seemed to be made from the green material along with other fabrics, but I couldn't find any brown leather on it.

I wasn't as excited as I was when I received my assassin outfit, but I still felt delighted. I wore the cloak just as much as the coat and the dress became one of my favorite ones, mainly because I loved the color green. Although I found corsets a little restraining, I didn't mind wearing them.

However, this didn't mean my training was over. I was officially an Assassin, but Auntie Tessa still forced me to practice my skills everyday. She claimed that I always had room for improvement. I didn't complain because I knew she was right. I almost never complained during training anyway.

Three years later, when I was seventeen, Auntie Tessa came running to me, obviously in a rush. I had just entered the house from the back door. "What's wrong?" I asked, a little worried.

"Nadia," she began, never taking her eyes off me. "Take these and run. Do not come back here."

I glanced down at her hands to see her holding a pile of green and brown clothes, a few books, and a map.

"What are these? What's going on?" I asked, confused. I heard a faint knock from the front door.

She shoved the things into my hands. "Follow the map to one of the two places. Hunt the Templars down, but do not let them find you."

The knocks became louder and I could hear shouting at the door. "What happened? What's going on?" I demanded nicely, a little scared and still confused.

Auntie Tessa's expression saddened. "They found me," she said softly. She lowered her head to stare at the ground. Then, she threw the back door open and looked back at me.

"Go," she commanded me. "You have all of your weapons and everything else you need," she added, acknowledging the things I held in my hand and the countless weapons I had on me, most of them hidden.

I heard the front door slam open, but I couldn't move. Auntie Tessa shoved me out the back door. I stumbled forward and immediately turned around, but she had already shut the door. I just stood there for a moment, shocked. Then I spun around and ran, not sure where I was going except away from my house, my home.

I never saw Auntie Tessa again.

I followed the map to a house in Boston and a slightly larger one in the forest, far away from the road. They appeared to be safe houses, but I wasn't sure. The house keys for them were under the pile of clothes Auntie Tessa had given me. For a year I lived in one of the two houses, switching off between then whenever it was convenient. I lived off of the money I made selling parts of the animals I hunted and the herbal remedies I had learned to make. I was only able to find and kill one Templar, but the room I found him in held a chest containing a large amount of pounds. I still-

BANG!

The sound of a gunshot jolted me from my memories. My head shot up and I glanced around. Whoever shot that gun was close by. I stood up and climbed the tree I was leaning against. Once I was able to, I jumped into another tree. With not so much grace,I continued to leap from tree to tree towards the gunshot. I might be able to free run through trees, but I definitely wasn't very skilled at it. But the more I could practice, the better.

As I got closer to my destination, the road that lead through the forest became visible. Attempting one last leap, I sprung myself into a tree beside the road, barely clearing the jump. I let out a deep breath, relieved that I didn't injure myself. I scanned the ground below me. What I saw surprised me.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed

Chapter 2: What the Heck is Steganography?!

There, below me, was a girl standing in front of two wolves. Off to the side, another wolf lay lifeless with blood pooling out of its side. However, that wasn't what surprised me. What surprised me was what the girl was wearing. She wore a black vest over a tight-fitting brown tunic. A tricorn hat sat on her head, the front part dipping downward to form a crest. A red sash was tied around her waist. From my position, I could barely make out a belt that went around her sash. The buckle was in the shape of an Assassin symbol.

As I stood there gawking, one of the wolves growled and leapt at her. She swiftly sidestepped the wolf and it banged into a tree. Not wasting any time, the Assassin pinned the animal against the tree with her foot and used her hidden blade to stab it through the head. She let it go and the dead wolf fell to the ground.

The remaining wolf snarled and immediately charged at the girl. She tried to dodge it, but she wasn't quick enough this time. The wolf knocked her over and landed on top of the Assassin. Without hesitation, I shut my mouth closed and jumped to the ground. I rolled to avoid injuring myself and tackled the wolf, pushing it off the girl. Using my hidden blade, I stabbed the wolf a few times to ensure it died. I stood up, retracting the blade back into my wrist, and turned to the Assassin.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I walked over to her.

"I think so," she answered. She spoke with a French accent. I helped her up.

Now that she was in front of me, I could see the Assassin clearly. She was pretty, her big brown eyes and slightly dark skin now visible under her hat. Her long black hair was pulled back into a braid, which was tangled and messy due to the wolf attack. She was about an inch taller than me, or so I think. I couldn't know for sure because of her hat.

I noticed the Assassin cradling her left arm. I frowned. "Your arm doesn't look like it's okay."

She shrugged, still holding her arm. "It's just a scratch. Nothing serious."

I raised an eyebrow. Nothing serious? The wound on her arm caused blood to soak through her clothes.

"Well, you don't want it to get infected," I said.

"I'll find a doctor in Boston. Thank you, um..."

"Nadia," I finished for her.

The Assassin smiled and shook my hand. "Nice to meet you, Nadia. I'm Aveline."

I smiled back. "My home is closer to here than Boston. I know how to treat your wound. More wolves will come if they smell your blood, and it will be safer," I said, trying to be helpful. I also wanted to know why she was here and what she was planning on doing.

Aveline shook her head. "No, I think I'll be fine traveling to Boston."

I smiled warmly to cover a mischievous grin. I don't think she knew I was an Assassin. "I insist," I said, trying not to sound demanding.

She hesitated and I glanced up at the sky. "It's kind of dark out right now," I stated calmly.

Aveline thought about it for a moment. "I need to be somewhere in Boston tomorrow..." she began.

"Then I'll take you there in the morning or whenever you want to leave! Plus, I know my way around Boston."

She paused. "Okay, I guess..."

I smiled and gently grabbed the elbow of her good arm. She didn't seem to mind, so I lead her to my house in the forest.

Luckily, we didn't encounter any more wolves on the way there. Aveline gave me a side glance every now and then, but I pretended not to notice. She never said a word, and neither did I.

Once we reached the safe house, I unlocked the door and opened it, motioning for Aveline to step inside. She did and took a quick glance around. Grinning, I lead her to the basement door. I kept all my weapons and extra assassin things in the basement. I didn't know where else to put them.

I unlocked and opened this door too. A confused look crossed her face when she saw my grin. Still staring at me, Aveline slowly walked through the door and down the steps. She finally tore her gaze from me to the surrounding walls.

I heard her gasp. All kinds of weapons hung from the stone-gray walls, many of them bearing an Assassin symbol. I had never used them before; they were here when I first found the house. A training dummy stood in the left section of the basement, away from most of the weapons. A few chairs were scattered throughout the room. The couple bookshelves against the left wall contained labeled jars of specific herbs and mixtures.

Aveline turned to me, her eyes wide. "Y-you're... an Assassin?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I smiled and nodded. Motioning for her to sit in a chair, I walked over to the bookshelves and scanned them with my eyes, searching for a certain mixture. After finding it, I returned to Aveline with the mixture and a strip of cloth. I took off her hidden blade, rolled up her sleeve, and examined the wound. It wasn't very deep and didn't look serious. I opened the jar and began to rub the ointment on her wound. She winced.

"Sorry," I said.

She studied me as I wrapped her arm. "You're an Assassin, but you don't have a crest on your hood or the symbol on your belt. Why?" She asked.

"My mentor thought they would make me too easily recognizable as an Assassin," I replied. "She didn't want any Templars finding me."

Aveline nodded and didn't ask any more questions. After I finished wrapping her wound, I rolled down her sleeve and began to strap her hidden blade back on. "So where are you from and what brings you here?" I inquired.

"I'm from New Orleans," Aveline answered as I finished strapping her hidden blade on. "As for why I'm here..." She pulled a folded letter out of a pouch on her waist and handed it to me.

I took the letter from her and unfolded it. Aveline watched me intently as I read the message. I frowned. The letter was addressed to someone named Master Kenway. The sender, Charles Lee, was asking him how he was doing, told him he would return soon, and inquired about his interest in caves. I thought that was a little weird, but other than that, the letter appeared to be a friendly one.

"Are you delivering this letter to the Master Kenway guy?" I asked.

Aveline shook her head. "The letter uses steganography."

I gave her a blank look. "Steganography is something people use to write coded messages," she continued. "There's a mask that goes with this letter. If you place it on top of the letter, you will see the real message Charles Lee is trying to tell Master Kenway."

"Who's Charles Lee and Master Kenway?"

She bit her lip. "I know Charles Lee is a Templar, but I'm not sure about Master Kenway."

"I would think this Master Kenway is a Templar if Charles Lee is sending a coded message to him," I commented.

"Well..."

I waited for her to continue. After a few seconds, Aveline let out a deep breath. "Anyways, I came here to find the mask. The courier that was supposed to deliver this letter told me the mask was already delivered."

My mouth bent downward into a frown. I could tell Aveline wasn't telling me something, but I decided not to ask. "The courier told you that?"

"A lot of people will tell you anything you want to know when they have a knife to their throat," she replied.

"So you want to find the mask and you think it's in Boston."

She nodded. "The courier also told me that."

"I'm guessing you know where in Boston it is?"

Aveline began to fiddle with her hands and looked down. "Yeah, that's one of the problems I have," she said.

I frowned again. Boston was a huge city. There was no way anyone could find the mask without knowing which part to search.

I began to pace back and forth. "The courier told me something else too," Aveline said, still not looking up.

I stopped and stared at her, waiting for her to continue. She didn't say anything for a while, then looked up at me. "He said the mask wasn't sent to Master Kenway. It was sent to someone named William Johnson."

"Why would they send it to someone else besides Master Kenway?"

She shrugged. I pursed my lips. I don't know how that was going to help. I thought about what to do for a little longer, but then decided that there was nothing I could do about it now.

"It's getting late. There's another safe house in Boston that I know of. We can go there tomorrow for a start," I told Aveline.

She turned her head and stared at me with wide eyes. "We?"

I returned her state and blinked. "Of course! You're my 'brother', or 'sister', for that matter. Of course I'll help you, especially if it involves Templars," I said, a little surprised she would think differently.

She smiled at me. "Thank you, Nadia. For everything."

"Please, call me Nadi. Everyone else does."

Her smile widened. "Okay, Nadi."

I smiled back. We stood there for a few moments, then I headed up the steps. Aveline followed me.

I lead her to a spare room. "I'll be across the hall if you need anything," I said.

She smiled slightly. "Okay. Goodnight, Nadi."

"Goodnight, Aveline," I said in response before she closed the door.

I walked into my room and changed into a nightgown. I didn't like sleeping without any weapons on me, so I kept a knife (in a sheath, of course) hidden under my pillow. The rest of my weapons I placed on top of my dresser.

When I finally went to bed, I laid there for a little bit and emitted a sigh. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed

Chapter three: What Trips to Boston Should Always Be Like

"Nadi! Nadi! Wake up!"

I groaned and peeked through my eyelids. Aveline was standing above me, her hand shaking my shoulder gently.

"It's too early," I mumbled, rolling away from her.

"No it's not! We're leaving for Boston today, so you might want to start packing."

I opened my eyes fully and sat up, yawning. "I don't really need to pack anything," I said sleepily.

Aveline rolled her eyes. Grabbing hold of my wrists, she yanked me out of bed. I stumbled forward and would've fell if she wasn't holding onto me.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, no longer sleepy. "What was that for?"

Aveline grinned. "To get you up."

I narrowed my eyes and her grin grew wider. "Hurry up!" she sing-songed before leaving the room.

I sighed and sat on my bed. Yep, it was definitely going to be a long day. After a few minutes, I finally stood up and changed into my green blouse and trousers. I quickly strapped my hidden blades on, but decided to grab my other weapons later.

As I walked out of my room and into the kitchen, I noticed Aveline making breakfast. "Good morning, Nadi," she said happily.

"Why are you making breakfast?" I asked.

She blinked. "You're going to have to eat something."

I didn't say anything, surprised at myself for asking that question. I was so used to making my own breakfast or skipping it, I felt awkward seeing someone else make it.

Aveline handed me a plate of food and I took it. "Are you always this happy in the morning?" I asked.

She looked up at me and smiled. "Only on exciting days."

Exciting days? "We're only going to Boston today," I said. "And I don't even know how we're going to figure out where the mask is."

At this Aveline stopped and stared into space thoughtfully. "You don't have any ideas at all?" she inquired.

I sighed and sat down in a chair. "Well, we could eavesdrop on redcoats. They tend to know more about Templars. We could also ask around about trouble, since they normally are behind it." I paused and stared at my food. "Although that might take a long time."

Aveline sat down next to me. "Hmm... I guess we could try that."

After breakfast, I grabbed the rest of my weapons and my coat. I didn't bring anything else since I had clothes and everything else I needed at my house in Boston. I hoped I wasn't on Wanted posters in the city after yesterday's incident, but I didn't think I was because I didn't do anything seriously bad.

I met Aveline outside and we headed to the main path. The walk to Boston wasn't too far, and I didn't own any horses anyway.

For a good part of the journey, neither of us spoke. I guess Aveline didn't like to talk much. After a while, I wondered if I should say something. The silence was starting to get to me.

"So do you have any family in New Orleans?" I asked, desperate to break the silence.

"They're all dead," she replied. I turned my head and gazed at her face, shocked. I swear I saw her expression become sad and full of sorrow, but then her face changed back to its normal expression, revealing nothing.

"Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry," I said.

"Not your fault. What about your family?"

"They're all dead too, unless you count my uncle. He... killed my mentor," I answered.

Aveline turned her head slightly. "My mentor died too, except he killed himself."

I nodded and we both returned to staring at the ground. So neither of us had any family.

"What do you like to do for fun?" Aveline asked, trying to lift the tension.

Without knowing why, I smiled softly. "I hunt and collect herbs, but I wouldn't consider it for fun."

"It must be convenient knowing so much about plants and remedies," she remarked.

I sighed. "I can recognize plants okay, but I'm constantly forgetting how to make certain mixtures. You'd think I'd get better at it after a few years, but no."

We continued to talk about ourselves the rest of the way there, which wasn't very long. As I strolled into Boston, I inhaled and exhaled deeply. Like I thought, I was able to walk through Boston with no problem. Aveline looked all around her, taking in the sights.

"How do you like Boston?" I inquired.

It's... different from New Orleans, but similar in some ways," she answered.

As we walked to the safe house, I spotted two redcoats deep in conversation to the right. I grabbed Aveline's arm. She resisted as I gently pulled her behind the corner of a building.

"What are you doing?" she asked. She noticed the two redcoats. "Oh."

I let go of her and listened in to the conversation. "... and 'e always gets away! No matter 'ow many ov us 'e faces!" one said.

"I don't know, Trevor. These could all be just rumors," the other commented.

"Oh, but I've seen the bodies with my own eyes. And to think this 'ooded criminal is on the loose!"

"Eh... I don't believe what they say about 'im, but I 'ope I never 'ave to find out fer myself."

"They say 'e kills those who evict people from their 'omes an' collect taxes. I'm glad I don't do that kind ov stuff," Trevor remarked.

Trevor's friend snorted. "You would believe anythin' they say. We'll 'ave 'im by the end ov this week, you'll see."

They continued to talk about the "hooded criminal" for a while and moved on to discuss other things. I overheard nothing that would help us find the mask.

Seeing that we weren't going to learn anything, I turned to Aveline. "Well, I guess we should get going."

She nodded and we completed the walk to the house. By now it was dark, so once we got inside we ate something quick and called it a day.

"Goodnight, Nadi," Aveline said.

"Goodnight, Aveline," I responded before stepping into my room and closing the door.

It was a long time before I felt like sleeping. Once I did go to bed, I fell asleep almost immediately after my head hit the pillow.

XXXXX

Three weeks later we still hadn't learned anything. We eavesdropped on as many redcoats as possible, but none of them spoke of anything that would help us in our search.

Today, we were sitting on a bench, listening to a couple redcoats having a conversation. They were talking about the "hooded criminal" again. It was a common topic among British guards lately. I found it boring.

"They're always taking about the 'hooded criminal'," I muttered. "Don't they ever get tired of it?"

"He scares them," Aveline commented.

"It's not like talking about it going to help any! Probally just make it worse."

She shrugged. I studied her face for a few seconds. "Who do you think the 'hooded criminal' is?" I asked, suddenly curious.

She used her leg to support her elbow and rested her chin on her hand. I gazed into her eyes even though she wasn't looking at me. Aveline didn't want to answer the question. I could tell by the way she took a long time to think and avoided eye contact. She finally just shrugged, and I pursed my lips.

Why didn't she want to tell me? What was she hiding? As I thought about it, I couldn't help but notice a bunch of people gathering at the harbor in the distance. Aveline saw what I was starting at and looked back at me, confused.

"What's going on over there?" she asked.

"I don't know," I replied.

We stood up and headed towards the large mass of people. As we approached the crowd, I realized the colonists were cheering. They had gathered around two docked ships and were shouting as loud as they could. From where I was, I could see distant figures throwing wooden boxes in the water.

"What are they doing?" I asked Aveline.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "I have no idea."

We continued to watch the scene for a long time. Redcoats occasionally dashed onto the boats with muskets, but not a single one survived. At least I think so. I couldn't tell what was happening on the boat anymore.

The crowd was starting to disperse a little when Aveline and I heard a voice behind us. "Mr. William Johnson!"

Whoever spoke obviously wasn't calling us, but we both spun around. William Johnson. He supposedly had the mask for the letter.

A man was sprinting full speed at another man wearing a reddish-brown coat. "Sir, they're destroying the tea!" he exclaimed.

The man in the reddish-brown coat, probally William Johnson, narrowed his eyes. "I can see that."

Another man came up behind him. William Johnson suddenly paled, staring in the direction of the boats. I tried to spot what he was looking at, but I couldn't see anything from the angle I had.

"Tell Haytham to meet us at my place. Tell him to hurry," he told one of the men standing at his side.

The one that had been sprinting at him earlier nodded and ran off. William Johnson and the remaining person turned and walked away at a quick pace.

Aveline and I looked at each other. I already knew what she thinking. Without speaking a word, we followed our target, staying out of sight when we could. He never slowed down. Still, we didn't have any trouble following him.

I dove into a nearby haystack when William Johnson and his accomplice abruptly spun around. Aveline crouched behind a large crate. They quickly scanned the area before slowly turning back around and walking at a slightly slower pace.

Eventually, William Johnson approached a large white house and stopped. A man wearing navy blue clothes stood on the porch before him.

"I suppose you have a good reason for calling this unexpected meeting?" the man said.

William Johnson nodded. "Yes."

"Well, come on then. Thomas Hickey and Benjamin Church are already inside."

William Johnson entered the house as his accomplice stepped onto the porch. "Hello Charles," the blue-clothed man said to him.

"Good evening, Master Kenway."

Ah. So this was Charles Lee and Master Kenway. Now that I think about it, the mask was probally sent to William Johnson but given to Master Kenway. They disappeared into the house and closed the door behind them.

"Come on," I said, tugging Aveline's sleeve.

We silently crept around the house to the backyard. I searched for a way in. Looking up, I spotted an open widow on the second floor. It seemed big enough for a person to fit through, so I scaled the wall. Once I reached the window, I hauled myself up and into the opening. Aveline followed me and I pulled her up.

"Be on the lookout. I'll find the mask," she whispered.

I nodded and turned. There was no light in the room, but I could see a desk piled with papers and a bookshelf pushed against the wall. I hurried over to the door and pressed my ear to the crack, listening.

"... all in the water! What are we going to do?" William Johnson said, panicking.

"We'll get the money some other way. Don't worry." It sounded like Master Kenway.

"And 'ow we gon'a do that, 'aytham?" A new person questioned.

"I haven't decided that yet," Haytham replied.

"I believe there's something else we need to discuss," Charles Lee interrupted.

"And what's that?"

"Well, as far as I know, the letter I sent you almost four weeks ago never got here. We have no need for it now, but it could be in the wrong hands."

I stiffened. "I still have the mask," William Johnson asserted. "There's no need to worry."

"Destroy the mask," Haytham Kenway immediately demanded.

I smirked. Well, we had absolutely perfect timing.

My smirk vanished when I heard someone ascending up the stairs. "Aveline!" I hissed. "You have less than ten seconds!"

She flicked her wrist, indicating that she heard me. I'm surprised she was able to prevent triggering her hidden blade. The footsteps became louder as she continued to scour through the drawers.

"Found it!" she whispered.

We both ran to the window. Aveline climbed through, hung from the windowsill, and dropped. I copied her. Once I hit the ground, I turned to see her holding up a piece of paper with an irregular shape cut into it.

"That's the mask?"

She nodded. Grabbing her arm, I ran away from the white mansion, hoping no one would look out the open window and spot us.

Thankfully, no one did. We ran the whole way back to the safe house, never pausing to catch our breath until we got there. When we finally opened the door and stepped inside, I collapsed onto my knees, gasping for air.

After a few minutes, Aveline and I finally stood up, no longer exhausted. "Can I see the mask and the letter?" I asked.

She pulled the two papers out of her pouch and handed them to me. I grabbed it from her and placed the mask on top of the letter. Once I had lined them up, I held it out for both of us to read.

_Dear Master Kenway,_

_I hope you are fine. I will return soon, but without it. I found nothing here. Keep searching for it in the caves. It must be in one of them. I wonder if the artifact is hidden in the caves by the savage __villge.__I'm not sure if you searched there._

_Sincerely, Charles Leee_

I read the letter three times. It was amazing how someone could conceal a secret message so well in a letter. That was also probally the reason why it was worded a little weird.

A long time passed before Aveline broke the silence. "Artifact? Why would the Templars want an artifact?"

"I don't know," I replied, talking more to myself than her.

Aveline pursed her lips. "They went through all this trouble to hide this message. Why?"

"They wouldn't put it in a secret message if it wasn't important."

She turned to me. "Are you saying we should try to find it first?"

I sighed. "No... I mean, yes, but I don't think we can. We have no idea where to look besides 'the caves by the savage village'. For all we know, the natives would kill us if we were found trespassing on their land! They probally know where it is too, but I don't speak their language."

She started at the ground for a few seconds. I turned my gaze to her, waiting for her to speak.

Aveline let out a deep breath. "I think I know someone who might be able to help with that."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed

Chapter four: A Normal Meeting With Assassins

Four days later, I was walking up a path with Aveline. I had no idea where we were going, but she seemed confident in her knowledge on how to get there. She never told me much about who we were meeting, other than he was a part-native Assassin named Connor. There wasn't really anything to talk about during our last four days of traveling. Both of us were really bored, so Aveline started asking me about herbs.

"What does this do?" she asked, holding up a large green leaf she had just plucked.

I studied the leaf. "I forgot it's name, but it helps wounds heal faster. I put it in the mixture I used on you."

"Hmm..." She looked around for another plant. "What about this one?"

The small leaf she held was very smooth. I crossed my arms and glared at her. "That plant is completely useless."

Aveline pursed her lips. "Oh."

"This is boring," I suddenly whined.

"It's not for me! I'm learning stuff here."

I rolled my eyes when she wasn't looking. "So who are we meeting again?"

"I told you already. He's a native Assassin that lives in a manor somewhere around here." She stopped walking. "Speaking of where he lives..." She pointed at something in the distance.

I squinted in the direction she was pointing. A large red house standing atop a hill was barely visible. "That's where he lives?"

She nodded and we resumed our walk. Finally. After four days we were almost there.

Aveline and I walked in silence for the next ten minutes. I was beginning to despise quietness. Even though it wasn't an awkward silence, it still felt like one.

"Is there anything I should know about Connor before meeting him?" I asked.

When she didn't respond for a while, I was beginning to think she didn't hear me. I opened my mouth to repeat the question, but she spoke before I could.

"He's the 'hooded criminal' the redcoats are always talking about."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't tell me this before because...?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Because I didn't think it was important."

I sighed. I still had this feeling Aveline was hiding something. It puzzled me. What would she have to hide?

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

My mind snapped back to reality. I wasn't aware I had been looking at her."I was just thinking, that's all."

She frowned. I cocked my head and pricked my ears up. Seeing what I was doing, Aveline's frown disappeared.

"What is it?"

I wasn't sure what it was myself. It sounded like someone shouting and banging on a door.

"Come on," I said, pulling her towards the noise.

As we got closer to the noise, I picked up the pace. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good.

We finally broke through the trees and stared at the scene before us. Some people were trying to break into a small house. However, they weren't getting very far because other people were fighting them. Searching among the groups, I could easily pick out the Assassin. He was wearing a white and blue assassin coat and fought with more skill than anyone else. A lot more skill. I think he was defending the house.

Eventually, Connor and his group defeated the others. Only one person that had tried to break in was left conscious. The Assassin grabbed his collar and lifted him into the air.

"Ellen and Maria are free of you," he said menacingly. "I say so. The people behind me say so. Believe me when I tell you, if I ever see you on this land again, I will end you."

"You can have them," the man sneered. Connor threw him to the ground.

I spotted a woman wearing a green dress come out from the house.  
"Thank you," she said. "All of you. Nobody has ever stood up for us before."

"We protect our own, Ellen," a man responded.

"This is my home now," Ellen continued. "I'll find a way to show my gratitude for you all, I promise."

The group of people began to disperse after that. Connor finally turned and saw us. He froze in place. "Aveline?"

Smiling, she walked up to him and I followed. "Connor."

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Connor's hood was down. He had skin as almost as dark as Aveline's and black hair. His brown eyes and face looked strikingly familiar, but I couldn't place who he looked familiar to. He was very attractive, actually.

Her smile faded. "I think that's something we should discuss elsewhere."

His gaze turned to me and I smiled warmly. "I'm Nadia, but you can call me Nadi," I said, holding out my hand.

He ignored it. "My name is Connor Kenway."

My jaw hit the ground. Kenway? Wait, this guy was related to Haytham Kenway?

Aveline stepped on my foot. Hard. I shut my mouth and dropped my hand to my side. Connor was staring at me like I was a U.F.O.

"So," Aveline began. "Shall we get going?"

Connor looked back at her. "Of course. Achilles would want to know that you're here."

He turned around and started walking, motioning for us to follow. We did so and didn't talk to him.

"Why didn't you tell me he was related to Haytham?" I whispered to Aveline.

"I was debating whether or not to tell you for a while. I just thought I shouldn't have been the one to do it." she whispered back.

I stared at the ground. So this is what she had been hiding all along. I perfectly understood why she didn't tell me; if I were her, I wouldn't have either.

I slowly pushed my head up when the red house I saw earlier came into view. It seemed larger up close. Connor opened the door and strolled inside. We followed him, not making a sound.

"You're back." I turned to the voice. An old man with dark skin stood in the room beside us, leaning on his cane. He noticed Aveline and me. "And you brought company."

"Achilles," Connor said. "This is Nadia. And you already know Aveline."

Achilles smiled warmly at us. "Yes, of course. Please, make yourself at home. It's nice to have guests every now and then."

I followed Aveline into the living room and sat down. "You still haven't told me how you know these people," I said once they were out of earshot.

She sat down next to me. "I came here to find someone a long time ago. Connor helped me with my mission."

"So you have been here before?"

"Just for a little bit."

We stayed where we were and waited patiently. After a while, Connor and Achilles stepped into the room. "So is there a reason you traveled all the way here?" Achilles asked Aveline.

She pulled out the letter and the mask. Curious, he took them from her and lined them up. We waited for both Connor and Achilles to finish reading it.

"You know about my father, then?" Connor asked suddenly, glancing at us.

We nodded in unison. A brief silence followed.

"Do you know anything about this artifact?" Achilles inquired.

"Other than it might be hidden in a cave, no," Aveline answered.

"It is somewhere on my people's land," Connor interrupted.

We all turned to him, waiting for an explanation. "My people have a duty to protect it along with other artifacts," he continued. "No one except the Clan Mother knows exactly where it is."

"Wait," I said. "There's more than one artifact?"

"There used to be. Now there is only one left, I think."

"And the Clan Mother knows where it is," Aveline stated.

Connor frowned. "It's not that simple. Like I said, my people have a duty to protect it. They will never give it up to anyone, meaning my father will have to take it by force."

"Then we have to warn them!" I exclaimed.

He turned to me. "And what are they going to do? Give it to us? The Templars burned my village down once already looking for it! If they will not take that as a warning, then they will never listen to us."

I gaped at him, shocked at his outburst and what he said. His own father destroyed his village. I couldn't imagine anything worse that Haytham could do.

When no one spoke for a while, Connor left the room. "Don't mind him," Achilles said. "That boy has been through a lot."

"His father...burned his village?" I asked, my voice frail.

He sighed. "Not directly. He sent someone else named Charles Lee to do it. But even with everything that Templar has done, I still believe Connor won't be able to kill his father."

A sudden wave of pity washed over me. I felt really bad for Connor. He would have to kill his own father because he was a Templar.

"Anyways, are either of you two hungry?" Achilles asked.

"No, I'm fine," I replied. Aveline shook her head.

"Do you know where Connor went?" she inquired.

"He's probally outside somewhere. That's where he normally goes."

She turned to me. "I'm going to go talk to him. You can stay here if you like."

I nodded. "Okay."

She left the house. "There's a spare room upstairs and down the hall," Achilles said. "You and Aveline can use it."

I smiled at him. "Okay. Thank you."

"Your welcome."

I ambled to the spare room. Once there, I let out a deep breath and sat on the bed. Looking through the window, I spotted Aveline walking among some trees. A mischievous idea came to me and I suddenly had a desire to spy on her. _No,_ a voice in my head warned._It's wrong._

_Oh, come on, just this once,_ another voice prodded._ It couldn't hurt._

Right as Aveline disappeared from my line of sight, I listened to the second voice. Opening the window, I silently climbed out and dropped to the ground. I crept into a bush. Ahead of me, Aveline was climbing a tree. She definitely was better at that than me. I tailed her on the ground when she began jumping into other trees. It proved to be a little difficult since she traveled faster than me, but I managed to keep up somehow. I kept my distance and she never realized she was being followed.

Aveline didn't find Connor for a long time. When she did, he was sitting on a tree branch, leaning against the trunk. I crawled behind a pile of leaves with a perfect view of him.

She gracefully leapt onto the branch and sat down in front of him. "Hey."

"Hey."

Neither of them spoke for a few seconds. Connor wasn't looking at her, but Aveline was studying him.

"Sometimes I wonder why the spirit chose me over everyone else," Connor said. "Everything would be so much easier for them than it is for me."

She gave him a blank look. "A spirit told me to find Achilles and become an Assassin before I left my village," he continued. I heard him sigh. "And now I'll have to kill my father."

"It may be harder for you, but you understand how much he needs to die the most," Aveline responded.

He turned to gaze at her. "Maybe, but he's my father."

She didn't say anything to that and Connor looked down. There was a short silence between them. "The reason I got a little mad earlier was not because my father burned my village," he began. "It was because he killed my mother in the process."

Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on. Connor's father killed his own wife? What kind of person does that?

Aveline's face showed pure shock. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "My mother died a month after I killed my stepmother, but I don't think that compares to having to murder your own father."

His gaze turned back to her. "He's only my father by blood. I consider Achilles to be more of a father than him."

She smiled slightly. "You're lucky. I don't have any sort of father."

"Maybe, but you have Nadia to be grateful for."

"Just as you have Achilles to be grateful for."

He smiled. "Ya, I guess."

"I saw you with Ellen earlier today," Aveline stated. "She and everyone else seem to be grateful for you."

"I suppose so. I suggested that they move here after I rescued them from their abusers. Most of then didn't have a place to go."

"See?" she said. "You've helped so many people. You don't need to worry about your father, because you'll do the right thing when you're given the choice. You'll do whaever will protect others."

Connor stared at her for a moment, shocked at her words. Then he smiled, touching her elbow lightly. "Thank you for talking to me, Aveline." With that, he dropped down from the tree and headed back towards the manor.

Aveline didn't move from her spot. She just sat there, her face red from blushing. She held the spot Connor had touched on her elbow gingerly.

I didn't move either, surprised and shocked at the conclusion that had just entered my mind.

Aveline had a crush on Connor.

**AN: I have two things to say. One, I'm sorry about the ending of this chapter. I'm kinda bad at writing personal talks. Two, I might not post another chapter for a while.**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed

Chapter five: Just So You Know, Bears Are EVIL

The next day, I actually woke up before Aveline. I had never managed that before, so I cheered quietly and shook her awake.

"What..." she mumbled, rolling to face me.

I hopped up and down excitedly as she stood up. "I finally did it!" I exclaimed. "I woke up before you did!"

She shot me an annoyed look. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." She glanced out the window. "Do you want to come with me to see the sunrise?"

I shrugged. "Okay." I wasn't a big fan of sunrises, but I figured I'd go.

After we changed out of our nightgowns and into something more appropriate, Aveline opened the window and climbed through. I followed her up to the roof. Once there, we sat down, facing the rising sun.

I watched the sunrise intently. I almost never watched the sunrise because I felt like it was a waste of time. There were better things to do. However, there was nothing else to do here since we had no clue what to do next. Connor was right; the natives probably would ignore us if we told them anything about the artifact.

As if my thoughts called him, Connor sat down next to Aveline. I almost jumped. He was so silent I didn't hear him approaching us.

"Do you watch the sunrise often?" he asked.

"Sometimes," Aveline replied.

I shook my head. "No."

A brief silence followed. Aveline seemed a little nervous and her cheeks were slightly tinted pink. Not taking my eyes off the sun, I asked the question that had been on my mind earlier.

"What are we going to do about the artifact thing?"

Connor sighed. "I don't know. Maybe-"

"OH REALLY? WELL, I COULD BEAT YOU AT THAT GAME ANY DAY!"

All three of us whirled our heads around. I winced. Whoever shouted probably woke up everyone in the homestead, including Achilles.

Connor sighed again. "That would be Terry and Godfrey."

"Who are they?" Aveline asked.

"They own a lumber mill around here. I'd better go see what they're up to before they get into another fight."

He stood up and left. Aveline turned her head back around, her face still a little red from blushing.

I couldn't stop myself from grinning. Staring at me, she furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," I answered. "I just never expected you to have a crush so soon."

She attempted a confused expression. "What are you talking about?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on. It's kinda obvious you like him."

"And how would you know that?"

"Um, you were blushing. And acting a little nervous."

She fell silent and feigned interest in the sunrise. The only problem was the sun had already risen.

"Do you want to go back inside?" I asked. "I'm getting kinda cold."

Aveline nodded and we stood up. This time, we entered using the back door. Once inside, I noticed Achilles making his way down the stairs. He didn't look very happy.

"I miss the quietness," he muttered. "Although it's nice to have lumber when it's needed, it has never been quiet with them around."

I smiled a little and he slowly walked into the kitchen. Aveline and I helped him make breakfast, even though I didn't feel that hungry yet.

"So where do you live, Nadia?" Achilles asked.

"I don't exactly live anywhere permanently. I normally stay at a safe house in Boston or another one in the forest nearby the city." I answered.

"Do you have any relatives?"

"Besides my uncle, no. He's a Templar, so I don't really count him."

We finally finished making breakfast and sat down to eat. During the middle of our meal, Connor stepped into the room. This time, I did jump. How was he so silent all the time?

"And where have you been?" Achilles inquired.

"Norris and Myriam are getting married," he stated, not really answering the question.

"Who?" I asked.

"Two people that live on the homestead," he replied.

"So they're finally getting married," Achilles said. "When's the wedding?"

"In a few days. There's going to be a lot of preparation to do."

"Of course there is. Weddings are always like that," he commented.

Connor turned to Aveline and me. "You two haven't met anyone else that lives here, have you? Would you like to meet them?"

"Sure," I responded.

He nodded. "Well, whenever you're ready."

He exited the room and we finished eating as quickly as possible. "Don't let those lumberers kill each other!" Achilles called as we put our dishes away and headed out the door.

Connor was waiting for us outside. "Ready?" he asked.

We nodded and followed him down the path. "So who are we meeting first?" I questioned.

"Probably Terry and Godfrey," he answered.

"Them? By the way, what happened with them earlier?"

He shrugged. "Nothing really. They got over the dispute quickly."

As we continued to walk, I spotted a wooden mill placed on the bank of a small river. A noisy water wheel was running. Two men were sawing lumber outside, the noise silent over the sound of rushing water.

One of them looked up. "Oh, hello again Connor!"

"Hello, Godfrey."

Godfrey wore a red cap and a brown tunic. He sounded Scottish.

Connor turned to us. "Godfrey, this is Aveline and Nadia. Nadia and Aveline, this is Godfrey."

"And I'm Terry!" the other man said suddenly. He also had a Scottish accent. His red hair was mostly covered by a black hat.

"Hello, Terry," Aveline said.

We talked for a little bit about random things. Eventually, Connor said goodbye and lead us to the inn. There, we met the innkeepers, Oliver and Corinne, and the woodworker, Lance. Norris and Myriam also happened to be there.

Norris turned out to be French. Once Aveline learned this, they started a long conversation in their language. In the meantime, I talked to Myriam.

Myriam was a huntress. She ended up here after some poachers shot her arm, but Connor took care of them. Now, she traded the parts of the animals she hunted with others, like I used to.

Finally, Aveline and Norris' conversation came to an end and Connor took us to meet "Big Dave" the blacksmith and Doctor Lyle. They were a little busy, so we didn't get to talk for very long. We didn't even meet Father Timothy because he had other things to do.

When Connor lead us to a farm, a dark-skinned man and his wife greeted us. They intruded themselves as Warren and Prudence. They also claimed to have a son named Hunter, but he wasn't with them. Seeing that the sun was setting, we soon had to hurry off to meet Ellen.

She lived in the same house that Connor was defending yesterday. As we approached the house, a girl ran up to us.

The white fabric the girl held in her hands contrasted with her brown dress. She resembled Ellen a little.

"Hi! I'm Maria," she said happily. "My mother's really busy right now, so she can't talk to you. She said she would love to some other time, though."

Connor nodded. Maria turned to study Aveline and me.

"I'm Aveline," Aveline said with a smile.

"And I'm Nadia," I added.

She smiled back. "Pleased to meet you! There's not very many girls around here normally."

"What do you do most of the time?" Aveline asked.

"Help my mother, mostly. She's a tailor. It can be tedious, but sometimes it's fun." Maria smiled. "I like it when she makes dresses for me."

I couldn't help but smile back. She seemed so innocent.

"Maria!" a woman called from inside the house. "What's taking you so long?"

"Sorry, gotta go," Maria said quickly. She hurried back to the house. Before entering through the door, she spun her head around and waved.

We waved back and headed back to the manor. The sun hadn't set yet, but it was about to. As we walked, I stole a glance at Aveline. She didn't appear to be as nervous around Connor as this morning, but I caught her gazing at him frequently.

When Connor stopped abruptly, both Aveline and I rammed into him. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "What was that for?"

He didn't answer and crouched to study something on the ground. I moved to the side, allowing me to see what it was. There, on the ground, were a few drops of blood. I thought that was a little unusual, but it probably didn't mean anything important. Someone could have accidentally cut themselves on a tree branch.

As I waited for Connor to finish investigating the blood, I spotted something moving out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head.

It was a bear. And it was advancing right towards us.

"Um... Connor?" I said, poking him repeatedly. He ignored me. "Connor." The bear came steadily closer. I poked him with as much force as I could muster. _"Connor."_

"Ouch! What do you want?" he asked with a hint of annoyance. He noticed the bear. Taking my eyes off the animal, I watched his face change from being annoyed to serious mode.

Before I knew what was happening, the bear charged him. Connor sidestepped, slashing at its flank with his hidden blade. The bear roared with anger and whirled around. As it tried to swipe at Connor, I leapt forward and stabbed its head. Surprisingly, the bear survived. All I did was make it angrier and turn its attention to me.

I backed up as the animal growled menacingly. Suddenly, Aveline's blade came from nowhere and stabbed its head like I did, except from the top down instead of from the side.

The bear growled weakly, drooping his head slightly. Connor walked up and ended its life.

I let out a deep breath. Finally paying attention to my surroundings, I noticed the blood that littered the ground. It wasn't everywhere, but there was some. There wasn't as much on our clothes, thankfully.

"Are bears common around here?" I asked.

"No," Connor replied. "They normally don't like being around a lot of people."

We fell silent. In my entire life, I've met a bear only once, and I didn't even kill it. I climbed a nearby tree and got as far away from it as I could. At that time, I didn't think I could take it on.

Apparently, now I could. Or rather, we could.

* * *

The bear fight made Aveline and me very tired. Once we reached the manor, we cleaned the blood off our clothes and retired for the night.

Despite how tired I was, I couldn't sleep. I occasionally peeked at Aveline, who apparently couldn't sleep either. She was staring at the ceiling with her hands resting on her stomach. To me, she seemed deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" I inquired.

She jumped before turning to me. "Oh, I don't know."

"I'll take that means you're thinking about Connor."

She glared at me. "You're too good at this."

I smiled. "Hey, it's not bad to have a crush on him. He is kinda hot."

Aveline gaped at me, her eyes wide. "What?" I asked. "It's true."

When she didn't respond for a few seconds, I sighed. She was still gaping at me. "Even you have to admit he is," I said.

"Maybe, but I certainly didn't expect you to say that," she replied.

I grinned. "I'm just speaking the truth..."

She grinned back. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed

Chapter six: DON'T EVER PLAY FANORONA. EVER.

"So does everyone in your village call you Connor?"

I was on the roof, directly above Aveline and Connor. The morning sun shone down on them as they chatted, clearly in the middle of a conversation. I'll admit, this was almost an addiction for me. I found listening to them talk very interesting sometimes, considering Connor didn't seem to have the same feelings for Aveline that she had for him.

"No. My real name is Ratonhnhaké:ton," Connor replied.

I silently tried pronouncing his name a couple of times. Nope. I couldn't say it. I'm guessing Aveline couldn't either because she didn't say anything for a while.

"Oh," she finally said.

"Achilles gave me the name Connor because no one outside of my village could pronounce my real name," he explained. "Achilles' son was named Connor."

"And he's... dead," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I knew Achilles' wife and son died some time ago because their graves were just outside the manor. I've seen Achilles gazing at them from a window before. As far as I knew, he never left the house.

"Ya, he is," Connor confirmed.

A long silence followed. There were a lot of those in their conversations. Connor seemed so open with her at times, but it often lead to silence.

By now, Aveline was probably blushing, but I couldn't tell. She had gotten better at controlling her blushing in the past few days.

"When's the wedding?" she asked, desperate to lift the tension.

"Later today. Speaking of the wedding, I better go find Norris. We still need to prepare for a lot of things."

They stood up. "Bye Aveline," he said.

"Bye," she replied softly. She had to be blushing.

Aveline didn't move after Connor had left. She didn't move for a long time after that. I was beginning to get a little worried until she finally spun around and headed back inside.

I silently crept across the roof to the other side of the manor. Dropping to the ground, I quietly opened the door and walked inside. Thankfully, no one saw me. No one should know I was even outside.

However, Aveline was calling my name. "Nadi! Are you here?"

I strolled towards her voice. I found her in the living room, studying a board game placed on a table. "Aveline?"

She glanced up at my voice. "Hi. I was just wondering where you were, but do you want to play Fanorona?" she asked, gesturing to the board game.

"Uh... I guess." I have never played that game before, but I heard of it. "But you have to teach me how to play."

She smirked. "Of course."

We sat down and she taught me the rules of the game. I found it slightly confusing at first, but I eventually caught on. I actually managed to win one of the first three games we played.

Towards the end of the fourth game, Aveline frowned. A small amount of glee rose inside of me. Was I going to win this game too? It was very frustrating for me to lose even once. I was clearly horrible at Fanorona.

Aveline's frown suddenly turned upward into a smile. Leaning back in her chair, she moved one of her pieces and took three of mine. I watched her take the rest of my pieces during her same turn.

After the board was cleared of my pieces, I glared up at Aveline. "I don't know why I even bother versing you."

She grinned. "Hey, you won one game."

"You would be better if you played more," a voice stated.

I turned to notice Achilles sitting in what seemed to be his favorite chair. I crossed my arms. "Well, I don't plan on being a professional Fanorona-player." How long had Achilles been there? How many games did he see?

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I think it would help if it prevented you from losing so many times."

Aveline smiled and I narrowed my eyes. "Would you rather verse Achilles?" she asked, still smiling.

I knew I would lose against him too, but I still agreed to play with him. That was a big mistake. If I was frustrated earlier, I was steaming mad now. I never beat him. The games were shorter, mainly because Achilles knew how to win as quickly as possible.

However, he also knew how to calm me down. "What have you decided to do about the artifact?" he asked suddenly.

I spent the next few moments deep in thought. "I don't know," I finally answered, mindlessly moving one of my pieces. It turned out to be my last move of the game, but that didn't make me angry. My mind was focused on more important issues.

"Well," he began. "Maybe if you did something to help the natives, they would do something to help you."

I rested my chin on my elbow. Achilles did have a point. My only question was how and what they would do to help us if we found a way to help them. What did the natives need help with anyway?

I didn't have much time to ponder over it because someone knocked on the door. Aveline stood up and hurried to open it. Before she even got there, the door swung open and a woman stepped inside. She was completely dressed in brown clothing . A white hood concealed most of her black hair, which I think was pulled back into a ponytail.

"Can I help you?" Aveline asked.

The woman ignored her and walked right past her. "Connor!" she called.

"He's not here right now. May I ask why you need him?" I inquired.

She spun to face me and smiled. "I... work for him."

"Work for him? Like, an Assassin?" I questioned.

Aveline shot me a warning glance. I returned a look that told her to keep quiet.

The woman seemed surprised for a second, but then she smiled warmly. "Yes, I'm an Assassin. I just returned from a mission and I need to speak with Connor."

Right at that moment, Connor walked into the house. He stopped once he noticed the woman and blinked. "Oh. You're back."

The woman smiled at him, and I couldn't help but realize that her smile looked... different. "You have _perfect_ timing. Just saying."

"Did the mission go well?" he asked.

"Kind of. I need to talk to you about it."

He nodded and headed towards a different room, gesturing for her to follow. She did so quietly.

When they were out of hearing range, I blinked. "What just happened?"

"That was Deborah. She's one of Connor's Assassins," Achilles answered.

Aveline walked over to me. As she did, I gave her a slight grin. "Looks like you have some competition," I said, quiet enough that Achilles couldn't hear.

She looked genuinely confused. "What?"

"She likes Connor. Can't you tell?"

She narrowed her eyes. "No. And you can't prove that she does."

My grin widened. "Maybe I can."

"What? How?"

"Follow me," I whispered, tugging her towards the room Connor and Deborah were in. Achilles wasn't paying attention to us, so I don't think he knew what we were doing.

However, Aveline did. "Wait. You want to eavesdrop on them?" she said, more of a statement than a question. "It's wrong!"

I suddenly felt a pang of guilt. I had eavesdropped on Aveline and Connor multiple times. "Only until you have enough proof," I finally responded, pushing the guilt away.

I could tell she didn't like my plan, but she consented anyway. We crouched behind the door, hidden from both Deborah and Connor.

"... you ever sleep? I really don't know how you do it," I heard Deborah say.

"I try not to think about it," Connor replied.

"A strong man, stronger than any I've ever met," she commented. I nudged Aveline, but she ignored me. "How is it a man like you has no wife?"

Okay, now this was getting awkward. "I do not have the time to give a woman what she deserves," Connor answered. "Perhaps when all this is over, I will be able to settle down and have a family. I hope."

"Of all the lecherous and deceitful men out there who are fathers you'd be a godsend. But I suppose that's how it is, the good ones are too busy for it and the louts have nothing better to do. In any case, if you ever think it's time, make sure I get the first crack!" It sounded like she was trying hard not to laugh.

"Hmm, I promise," Connor eventually answered, very unenthusiastic.

That's it? She pretty much just admitted that she liked him. More than just liked him. And his answer was "I promise". I guess Connor really wasn't into any girls.

After that, they actually started talking about the mission. I stopped listening because now I had "proof". Turning to Aveline, I smirked. She was furrowing her eyebrows.

"Well, that was awkward," she commented.

My smirk turned into a smile. "But now you have your proof, right?"

She pursed her lips. "Ya, I guess."

We silently stood up and walked away. I didn't have a specific place to go in mind, but we kept walking.

"Do you miss New Orleans?" I eventually asked.

She shrugged. "Not really. It reminds me of my mentor and my stepmother, and I really don't want to think of them ever again. I guess I don't mind thinking of my mentor, but he did try to kill me. He eventually committed suicide."

"Oh." It was the only response I could think of.

Paying attention to my surroundings, I realized that we were outside. The manor wasn't in sight, but we should be able to find our way back.

"Do you ever wish that you never became an Assassin? That you didn't have to worry about Templars and mysterious artifacts?" Aveline asked.

I thought about it for a while. "Sometimes I'd rather be normal, yes, but someone has to do it. Someone has to step up and save the world from the Templars."

She gave me a sideways glance. "I don't think we're saving the world."

"Well, ya, but I think the world would be under Templar control if it weren't for all the Assassins."

She nodded. "I suppose I agree with you. But what if Templar control wasn't a bad thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, what if Templar control actually turned out to be... helpful?"

I blinked in surprise. "Helpful? The only thing Templars want is control. They don't care about anything else."

She gazed at me intently. "Do they?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out. She had a point. I didn't actually know their true intentions. Yeah, Auntie Tessa told me they wanted control, but other than that, there was no other proof that it was their goal.

I pondered over it for a long time during our walk. If the Templars didn't want control, what did they want? What did they want so badly that they would do anything to get it? I guess if anyone wanted anything badly enough, they would do anything for it. But what was it?

"We should head back now," Aveline said, jolting me out of my thoughts.

I just nodded. We turned around and headed in the opposite direction. I hoped it was the right way.

Before long, I heard a noise. I stopped and listened. By the sound of it, someone was jumping from tree to tree very noisily.

Aveline looked up. "I hear it too."

"I will not be a HOUSEWIFE!" a woman shouted above us.

"No one expects you to be!" Connor's voice replied.

Looking up, I glimpsed him chasing Myriam through the trees. She was clothed in a white wedding dress, which probably wasn't an ideal thing to wear while climbing trees.

They leapt away until they were out of sight. "What was that all about?" I asked out loud.

"I have no idea," Aveline replied, still staring in the direction of Connor and Myriam.

We slowly turned around and completed the walk back to the manor. Achilles was on the porch, leaning on his cane.

He smiled when he saw us. "The wedding ceremony starts soon. You might want to head over to the chapel."

"Oh... um, well..." I began.

"Well what?" he asked nicely.

"Nevermind," I responded. Even if Myriam decided not to marry Norris, we were going to walk to the chapel either way.

Aveline and I walked with Achilles to the wedding. I was surprised that he actually came out of the house. He walked very slow, but we stayed together anyway.

When we reached the chapel, I found out that Myriam had decided to marry Norris. Aveline and I sat beside each other when the ceremony began. I hated sitting still, especially for a long time. Aveline held me down every time I tried to stand up during the wedding.

After what seemed like forever, the ceremony finally ended. The rest of the day was spent celebrating, but I didn't find it very fun. Nothing else important happened, unless Connor receiving a flag counted. I had no idea what he was going to do with a flag, but he still received it gladly.

Once people started leaving, Connor ambled over to Aveline and me. "Do you guys have anything planned for the next week?" he asked.

"No," Aveline replied.

"Good," he said. "We're leaving for my village tomorrow."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed

Chapter seven: Confusing, Blond-Haired Girl

Connor, Aveline, and I left for the village the next day. I had no idea what Connor planned to do at first, but I soon learned he just wanted to warn them. He didn't believe we could do anything to make them give us the artifact.

The journey there was supposed to be short (at least according to Connor), but it was already well into the afternoon and we weren't there. I had a desire to complain about it, but I restrained myself from doing so.

Apparently, my face betrayed how I was feeling. "What's the matter with you?" Aveline asked quiet enough that Connor wouldn't hear.

"This is taking forever," I whined.

She gave me a weird look and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could, I heard a voice behind us.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton?"

All three of us whirled around. "Kanen'tó:kon?" Connor said.

Kanen'tó:kon and Connor embraced. They then talked in their own language for some time. I think they were talking about us because they gestured to us during their conversation. I really didn't know who this Kanen'tó:kon was, but he looked like a native.

Finally, they walked back over to us. "This is Kanen'tó:kon," Connor told Aveline and me. "He's going to take us to the Clan Mother."

We nodded. The four of us walked the rest of the way to the village in silence. It only took a few minutes to reach the village, but the quietness still annoyed me.

Once we made it to the village, Connor started talking to other people there. Neither Aveline or I knew anyone, so we just kind of stood off to the side.

After what seemed like five years, Connor, Aveline, and I actually spoke with the Clan Mother. Well, Connor spoke with the Clan Mother. They talked in their language, so I couldn't understand a word they said. It was almost the same as watching him talk to anyone else in his village. Extremely boring and tiring.

After another few years, Connor stopped talking, stood up, and started walking away. Aveline and I jumped up and followed him.

"What did she say?" I asked excitedly.

He shrugged. "She thanked us for the warning, but she will not be doing anything different."

"Oh," I said, pursuing my lips. I was a little disappointed at that. Yes, I expected that to be her answer, but I guess I hoped for something else.

"So what do we do now?" Aveline inquired softly.

He didn't have an answer for that. Eventually, he shrugged and said, "We wait for something to happen, I guess. There's nothing we can do now."

I let out a soft sigh. I personally hated doing nothing. The feeling of being unproductive and knowing I couldn't do anything about it was just... horrible. And I had no idea how long we would be waiting.

We left the village soon after and made it back after dark. It probably wasn't a very smart idea to be out at night in the middle of a forest, but we'd travel at night if it meant we could sleep in an actual house.

Not a single light could be seen inside the manor, so Achilles must've been sleeping. I was extra careful to not make a single sound as I stepped inside. Aveline and Connor followed suit.

I felt really tired. I think they did too, because we all went straight to bed. As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but think, _Why is this artifact so important? What does it do?_

* * *

Four months later, we still were waiting for something to happen. Maybe the Templars had given up. Maybe they decided to leave the artifact alone.

At the moment, I was hunting. We didn't need any meat or anything, but I had nothing better to do. Connor was currently doing something on his ship, the Aquila. Aveline went with him. They've been spending a lot more time together, which I thought was kind of cute.

I would've gone with them too, but I didn't like the feeling I got when I was out in the middle of the ocean. I couldn't swim for more than half a mile because I became tired easily. With anything else, I had pretty good endurance. Swimming was my only problem. But, well, at least I could swim for a little bit. Now that I think about it, I was terrible at anything that had to do with nature. Can't climb trees very well, can't remember herbal remedies, and can't swim for very long.

As I crept behind a rabbit, the sudden noise of a twig snapping resounded in the air. The rabbit's head shot up. I cursed as the animal bolted away. Whoever stepped on that twig was an idiot. Angry, I spun around to see a girl my age standing a short distance away.

I stepped back in surprise. But the fact that there was a girl there wasn't what surprise me. It was because I had seen her before. She looked much older than when I first saw her, but it was her. I just knew it.

**_Flashback_**

I was thirteen years old. It was the middle of the afternoon, and I was walking with Auntie Tessa on a busy street. She had business elsewhere, so she told me to stay put inside a general store until she came to get me. Stay put. What a stupid request. She should have known I wasn't going to follow it.

Right after Auntie Tessa left, I jumped up from my chair and peeked through a window. She was walking the other way, so she wouldn't see me if I left. Grinning mischievously, I silently pushed the door open and started in the opposite direction of Auntie Tessa.

I didn't know where I was going. I planned to walk for a little bit and then return, but that's not exactly what happened.

Soon, I started skipping instead of walking. As I headed down an alleyway (which was rather stupid of me), I realized two people were following me. I frowned. They were dressed typically, but I think they were bandits or something.

If I turned around and headed that way, I would run right into them. I was left with no choice but to continue down the alley.

Unfortunately, the alley turned out to be a dead end. I spun to face the two bandits.

The shorter one on the right laughed. "Look what we 'ave 'ere."

I glowered at them. "Touch me and I kill you." I only had about a year of training, so I didn't think I could kill them if I wanted to. I was so much smaller, and I had never killed someone before.

It was the taller one's turn to laugh. "Really? Well, let's see what you can do."

The two bandits advanced towards me. I backed up until I bumped into the wall behind me. Great. I should've listened and stayed in that general store...

Suddenly an arrow hit the taller one's shoulder. A second later, another one protruded out of his chest. I gaped in horror as his lifeless body fell right in front of me.

Almost immediately, the short one yelled something and threw a punch at my face. I dodged it and roundhouse kicked his stomach. As he doubled over, I glanced up at the rooftops. There, a girl with pale blond hair stood calmly, a bow in her hands. She wasn't too far of a distance away, allowing me to notice her hazel eyes and small face.

I wasn't given any more time to study her. My attacker had recovered from the kick and leapt at me. I attempted to roll away, but I kind of failed at that. Whatever I did wrong left me lying flat on my back, gazing up at the sky.

As I lay there, I caught a another glimpse of the girl. She was still in the same position. She still held her bow, but by the looks of it she wasn't planning on using it. It was almost as if she was waiting for me to do something.

I jumped up right as my short attacker charged at me. After managing to sidestep him, I realized I couldn't keep doing this. I was at a huge disadvantage. Not only was I smaller and weaker, I also was becoming exhausted very quickly. And the girl on the roof wasn't doing anything.

I dashed over to the corpse of the tall bandit and grabbed a knife he had. When the short bandit charged at me again, I made my decision. I considered just hurting him and running, but that meant he would live and be able to hurt others. I couldn't let that happen.

I pointed the knife at him. His eyes widened when he noticed it, but he couldn't slow down. The knife stabbed through his chest as he rammed into it.

The worst part wasn't stabbing him. It wasn't even feeling his lifeless body lean on my weapon. It was watching his eyes glaze over, knowing I was the one who took his life. Knowing that I had murdered someone.

After his corpse fell to the ground, I collapsed onto my knees. I don't know how long I sat there, sobbing. By the time Auntie Tessa had found me, it was almost dark. She didn't ask any questions. She just squeezed me tightly, shushing me as I sobbed loudly.

As she held me, I suddenly remembered the girl with the bow. I scanned the rooftops for her, but of course I couldn't find her. She probably left after I killed my attacker in self defense.

That was the last time I saw her.

I slowly forced my mind out of the memory and back into reality. The girl before me was her. She had the same blond hair, hazel eyes, and small face.

I had so many questions, but the only thing I managed to ask was, "Who are you?"

"I'm Ivy," the girl replied calmly.

"Why are you here? What do you want? How did you find me?"

Ivy stepped closer to me. "Look, I don't have much time. I'm here to give you a warning."

"What warning? Why do you even care?" I asked.

"Diana and Minerva sent me to warn you."

I gave her a confused look. "Who?"

"Diana and Minerva. You know, the Ones Who Came Before."

My expression became more confused. "Who are the Ones Who Came Before?"

She blinked in surprise. "You're an Assassin, and you don't know who they are?"

"No, I don't know who they are. How do you know so much about me?"

She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. "I'm sorry, but I'm not supposed to tell you anything else," she said, opening her eyes. "It... might lead to something bad."

"What do you mean by 'something bad'?"

"If you're confused, just pretend I never said that."

"Um, yes I am _very_ confused,"

She sighed. "Minerva wants me to tell you to never trust anyone besides Connor and Aveline. Whatever you do, just don't trust anyone. People you think are on your side will betray you."

"What is that supposed to mean? Who's going to betray me?" I demanded.

"Like I said, I can't tell you, but I will help when I can." With that, Ivy disappeared. Like, literally disappeared. She just vanished from thin air.

I didn't move from my spot. What had just happened?


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed

Chapter 8: Die, William Johnson!

After my encounter with Ivy, I slowly walked to the docks in a daze. I was no longer in the mood to hunt, and Aveline told me she would return to the docks before dark. Whenever she went somewhere with Connor on the Aquila, she was usually gone for no longer than a few days.

Connor and Aveline were already at the docks before I even got there. When Aveline spotted me, she smiled and ran over to me. I attempted to smile back, but it came out as a subtle smirk.

Her smile faded. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I replied immediately. For some reason, I wanted to keep my meeting with Ivy a secret. I don't know why. I just had that feeling.

Aveline stared at me suspiciously. "Nothing at all?"

I hesitated. Thankfully, Connor walked over to us before I had to say anything.

"Can one of you tell Achilles that I might not be back for a while? I have some things to take care of," he said.

"Sure," Aveline replied.

He turned to leave. "Do you know who the Ones Who Came Before are?" I suddenly blurted out.

He spun to face me. "How do you know about them?"

"I don't know," I lied. "I think I heard someone talk about them a very long time ago."

He let out a deep breath. "Well, the Ones Who Came Before are a part of precursor race also known as the First Civilization. They have great power, but they aren't gods. From what I know, a long-dead Assassin had spoken with one called Minerva. Achilles should know more."

Minerva. She was the one who sent Ivy here. "Do you know what Minerva told the Assassin?" I inquired.

"Not really," Connor answered. "Why do you ask?"

I shrugged. "Just curious."

He nodded and walked off. Aveline was still staring at me like I was hiding something big. Well, I don't know if I would consider it big, but I was hiding something.

She walked beside me as we headed to Achilles' house. "Okay, where did you really hear about the Ones Who Came Before?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

I decided to stay silent and not answer her question. This caused her to let out a heavy sigh. "Why don't you want to tell me?" she pried.

After a few seconds, I finally answered, "I just... can't."

To my relief, Aveline nodded and stopped questioning me. She seemed a little disappointed, but she understood.

Should I tell Aveline and Connor about Ivy? Does Ivy want me to? Was I supposed to? I ruminated on these questions during the walk. Not that ruminating on them got me anywhere.

I sighed. What was I supposed to do about everything?

* * *

Two months went by and nothing had changed. The subject of the First Civilization never came up since the time I asked about it, but I knew Aveline still wondered what I was hiding and why I was hiding it. Sometimes, I found her staring into space thoughtfully, not doing anything else besides just sitting there. But then, she could have been thinking about Connor.

At the moment, I was sitting in the living room, reading an extremely boring book. I didn't know what else to do, and the book was just lying there. I kind of regretted picking it up because it happened to be a boring biography.

The front door suddenly slammed open. "Ratonhnhaké:ton!" someone called. "Ratonhnhaké:ton!"

"Kanen'tó:kon?" Connor said, walking towards the front door from the hall. "Why are you here? Has something happened?

Kanen'tó:kon walked up to him. "William Johnson has returned, with all the money required to buy our land. He meets with the elders as we speak. I have begged them to resist, but I fear he shall have his way unless you intervene."

Kanen'tó:kon spoke English? I didn't know that he could until now.

"How is this possible?" Connor asked. "We destroyed the tea!"

"The Templars are nothing if not resourceful," I heard Achilles say. "You should have heeded my warning."

"Please, you have to stop him," Kanen'tó:kon pleaded.

"Of course," Connor said as both of them walked out of the house. "Can you tell me where they are meeting?"

I immediately jumped up and ambled to the front door. Achilles, who stood by the base of the stairs, was shaking his head.

"What's going on?" I glanced behind me to see Aveline coming down the stairs. "Where's Connor?" she asked.

"He's going to kill William Johnson," I answered, strolling over to her and grabbing her wrist. "C'mon!"

She didn't resist as I pulled her out the door. In fact, she started dragging me along once we were outside. I let her pull me to Connor, almost stumbling during the process.

Connor was talking to Kanen'tó:kon when we came outside. Once he saw us, a confused expression crossed his face. "What are you two doing?"

"We're coming with you, of course," Aveline replied.

He narrowed his eyes. "No. I will not let either of you come."

"Why not?" I questioned. "We're _helping_ you."

"I said no."

"Well, I guess that's too bad, because we're coming whether you like or not," Aveline said in a strangely calm voice.

"No."

"That wasn't a question," she stated, sounding a little more aggravated than before.

He stayed silent and studied us with slightly angry eyes. Seeing that we weren't talking anymore, Kanen'tó:kon spun around and walked off, probably headed in the direction of William Johnson. Aveline and I followed, leaving Connor to come along when he was ready.

A few seconds later, I glanced behind me to see that Connor was following us, even if he seemed a little unhappy.

I let out a sigh. He'd better stop acting like that before I get really angry.

* * *

"So what's the plan?"

Connor, Aveline, and I were standing on a cliff directly across from another cliff. Kanen'tó:kon had told us William Johnson was meeting with the natives somewhere on the opposite cliff. I couldn't see anyone else over there, so I guessed William Johnson was beyond the many trees that blocked my view.

"Hmm..." Connor absently stared into space as he thought of a plan. Aveline gazed at him, expecting an answer to her question.

I surveyed the area before us. "Well, down there-" I said, pointing at the area at the base of the cliff, "-we have a problem." There, on a small dock, two men stood watch. They each held a weapon.

"I could climb up over there-" Connor suggested, pointing at a climbable part of the cliff, "-and you two could go through there," he added, pointing at some tall weeds in a shallow part of the water below us.

"So we're splitting up?" Aveline asked.

He paused before answering. "We could. After you make it across the water, one of you could distract the patrolling guards while the other ambushes the guards at the meeting. That should give me enough cover to assassinate William Johnson," he said quickly.

"Okay," Aveline replied instantly.

They turned to me. Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly paying attention to what Connor was saying. He also said it a little fast.

After a long pause, I blinked. "What?"

Connor let out a frustrated sigh. "Just get to the meeting without being seen. I will kill Johnson." With that, he leapt from where he was standing into a nearby, tall tree, quickly making his way to the cliffside.

I turned to Aveline. "Do you want to go through the tall weeds or follow him?"

"Let's go through the tall weeds," she replied.

I nodded and we made it to the tall weeds, silently climbing through trees while staying hidden, just in case the two men on watch spotted us. I crept into the cover of the weeds and shivered against the cold water on my skin. Nevertheless, I forced myself to creep across, always conscious of the two men on watch. I had a feeling they would spot Aveline and me, but they never even looked our way.

Once we reached the other side, I quietly and quickly dashed into the cover of some bushes. Aveline stayed where she was.

After taking a quick look around, she crossed her arms. "Don't be paranoid. There's no one around to see you."

I crawled out of the bushes. "Well, you never know."

She rolled her eyes. After a moment, she asked, "Which way do you think the meeting is?"

"I don't know for sure, but I think it's that way," I said, pointing in the direction I thought it was.

She raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think it's that way?"

"Just a guess," I answered with a shrug. My guesses were usually correct.

"Then I suppose we're going that way first."

We started in that direction. At first, we didn't see a single person, but we soon had to take cover in hay bales and bushes from patrolling guards.

I hid behind a tree, noticing a guard turn around and walk in the opposite direction. Without hesitation, I silently ran up behind him and knocked him out. I made sure he was unconscious. Looking up, I spotted Aveline climbing up a tree ahead of me. I narrowed my eyes. What was she doing?

I hurried to the base of the tree. "Aveline!" I hissed. "What are you doing?"

She stopped climbing and stood up on a branch. I waited for her to say something, but she remained silent.

I sighed. "I prefer not to travel by tree."

"I'm figuring out what to do about them," she hissed at me, gesturing to two guards ahead of her. They were walking side by side, so we were going to have to either take them out simultaneously or get past them undetected.

"We could each knock one out at the exact same time," I suggested.

"Yeah, but that's when they become a problem," she responded, pointing at something in the distance.

I squinted to see what she was pointing at. "I don't see anything."

"There's a group of guards just standing over there. If we knock out the other two guards, they'll see us."

I closed my eyes and sighed. "We don't have to kill anyone, do we?" At this point, I was pretty sure we would have to kill somebody.

"No. We could just go around them."

I glared at her angrily. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?!"

"Because I didn't realize we could until now." She dropped down from the tree. "C'mon."

She led me around the two guards effortlessly, hiding in bushes to ensure we wouldn't be seen. The guards got farther and farther away until they were out of sight. I let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, I thought I would have to kill them.

We continued on towards the meeting, or at least where I thought the meeting was. My thought turned out to be correct. Soon enough, we came upon a group of people in front of a large white house. William Johnson and a bunch of guards stood among them.

Aveline and I made sure we were hidden from them, but I wanted to do something- and fast. One of the guards was pointing a musket at a native.

"Are you threatening us?" I heard one of the natives ask.

William Johnson thought about it for a moment. "Yes."

I was about to charge out and ambush him. Fortunately, right before I did, I spotted Connor on the roof of the house. He was directly above William Johnson.

Connor suddenly jumped from the house and assassinated Johnson. Aveline and I immediately rushed out and attacked the surprised guards, skillfully stabbing and slashing at them.

Half a minute later, the guards had gotten over their surprise and actually started attacking us back. I parried a sword as I yelled, "We probably should go now!"

I felt Aveline grab my arm. I pushed my attacker away and turned to her.

"Let's go," she said. Connor was standing next to her.

We booked it back to the cliff. The guards' loud footsteps sounded behind us as we ran, threatening to overwhelm us if we stopped running.

When we came to the edge of the cliff, neither Aveline, Connor, or I hesitated. We all jumped, diving into the water below us.


End file.
